CRESCO – The Crestwood girls track team rode two first place finishes and two seconds to third place at the Crestwood Girls Invitational last Tuesday under very challenging conditions.
    Kenzie Smith captured the 400 hurdles and Ashley Sickles won the high jump to pace the Cadet effort. Smith ran the oval in 1:12.85 as she held off Megan McDonough of Decorah, who crossed the finish line in 1:13.07.
    Sickles captured her specialty, the high jump, by soaring 5’6”, which tied the school record she set earlier this year. It was a relatively easy win for Sickles as five other participants all jumped 4’8” with Oelwein’s Stephanie Perry awarded second place on fewer misses.
    The Cadets placed third in the team race with 63.5 points, easing past a talented Sumner-Fredericksburg team that scored 60 points. Decorah’s strong team easily won the annual meet with 184 points followed by St. Ansgar with 84 points. Trailing Sumner-Fredericksburg were Oelwein, 57; Riceville, 54; Waukon, 51.5; and Dunkerton, 34.
    “This was one of the strongest fields we have had at the Crestwood Invitational in a number of years,” said Cadet coach Jim Obermann. “It is to bad the weather didn’t cooperate.”
    Although it was warm, it was also very windy with gusts up to 40 mph out of the south, making it difficult for participants and unpleasant for spectators.
    Coach Obermann was pleased with the third place finish by his Cadets. “The girls placed third as a team against some fine competition,” he said. “A year ago we came in last, so that shows good improvement.”
    Two Cadets placed second in individual events in the meet. Jessy Stika went 108’11” in the discus, just behind the winning effort of Chelsea Humpal of Decorah. She threw the disc 112’1”. Cadet Bre Balk placed seventh with a toss of 79’1”.
    Humpal also won the shot put, nipping Cadet Raquel Ristau who had a toss of 37’5.25”. Humpal’s winning effort was 38’4.5”. Stika placed eighth for the Cadets with a toss of 29’3.25”.
    In addition to the two first place finishes and two seconds, the Cadet girls took third in the 800 spring medley relay and were fourth in five events: 400 shuttle hurdler relay, 4x200 relay, Josie Gooder in the 100 hurdles, 4x100 weightman relay and the 4x400 relay.
    The winner and top Crestwood placings were as follows:
    High jump: Ashley Sickles, CW, 5’6”.
    Long jump: Kara Jo Sponheim, SA, 14’11”.
    Shot put: Chelsea Humpal, D, 38’4.5”; 2, Raquel Ristau, 37’5.25”; 8, Jessy Stika, 29’3.25”.
    Discus: Chelsea Humpal, D, 112’1”; 2, Jessy Stika, 108’11”; 7, Bre Balk, 79’1”.
    3000 run: Ashley Ameling, SF, 11:35; 6, Emma Baker, 12:40.
    4x800 relay: Decorah, 11:08; 5, Crestwood, 11:39.
    400 shuttle hurdle relay: Oelwein, 1:08.67; 4, Crestwood, 1:12.49.
    100 dash: Tashina McAllister, O, :13.2.
    1600 distance medley relay: Decorah, 4:34.91; 5, Crestwood, 5:15.0.
    400 dash: Kayla Kregel, D, 1:03; 6, Jennifer Joslyn, 1:11; 8, Susie Lewis, 1:14.
    4x200 relay: Riceville, 1:53.0; 4, Crestwood, 1:56.99.
    100 hurdles: Sarah Nelson, D, :16.15; 4, Josie Gooder, :17.08.
    200 dash: Tashina McAllister, O, :27.37; 7, Ashley Sickles, :29.52; 8, Chelsea Guyer, :30.12.
    400 hurdles: Kenzie Smith, CW, 1:12.85.
    800 sprint medley relay: Decorah, 1:57.57; 3, Crestwood, 2:09.74.
    1500 run: Kala Miller, D, 5:12.07.
    4x100 relay: Riceville, :53.56.
    4x400 relay: Decorah, 4:32; 4, Crestwood, 4:46.